Modified ACI Drop-Weight Impact Test for Concrete.

yesACI Committee 544’s repeated drop-weight impact test for concrete is often criticized for large variations within the results. This paper identifies the sources of these large variations and accordingly suggests modifications to the ACI test. The proposed modifications were evaluated and compared to the current ACI test by conducting impact resistance tests on 40 specimens from two batches of polypropylene fiber-reinforced concrete (PPFRC). The results obtained from both methods were statistically analyzed and compared. The variations in the results were investigated within the same batch and between different batches of concrete. The impact resistance of PPFRC specimens tested with the current ACI test exhibited large coefficients of variation (COV) of 58.6% and 50.2% for the first-crack and the ultimate impact resistance, respectively. The corresponding COV for PPFRC specimens tested according to the modified technique were 39.4% and 35.2%, indicating that the reliability of the results was significantly improved. It has been shown that, using the current ACI test, the minimum number of replications needed per each concrete mixture to obtain an error below 10% was 41 compared to 20 specimens for the modified test. Although such a large number of specimens is not good enough for practical and economical reasons, the reduction presents a good step on the development of a standard impact test

A Feasibility Study of BBP for predicting shear capacity of FRP reinforced concrete beams without stirrups.

yesShear failure of concrete elements reinforced with Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) bars is generally brittle, requiring accurate predictions to avoid it. In the last decade, a variety of artificial intelligence based approaches have been successfully applied to predict the shear capacity of FRP Reinforced Concrete (FRP-RC). In this paper, a new approach, namely, biogeography-based programming (BBP) is introduced for predicting the shear capacity of FRP-RC beams based on test results available in the literature. The performance of the BBP model is compared with several shear design equations, two previously developed artificial intelligence models and experimental results. It was found that the proposed model provides the most accurate results in calculating the shear capacity of FRP-RC beams among the considered shear capacity models. The proposed BBP model can also correctly predict the trend of different influencing variables on the shear capacity of FRP-RC beams

Shear capacity of reinforced concrete beams using neural network

NoOptimum multi-layered feed-forward neural network (NN) models using a resilient back-propagation algorithm and early stopping technique are built to predict the shear capacity of reinforced concrete deep and slender beams. The input layer neurons represent geometrical and material properties of reinforced concrete beams and the output layer produces the beam shear capacity. Training, validation and testing of the developed neural network have been achieved using 50%, 25%, and 25%, respectively, of a comprehensive database compiled from 631 deep and 549 slender beam specimens. The predictions obtained from the developed neural network models are in much better agreement with test results than those determined from shear provisions of different codes, such as KBCS, ACI 318-05, and EC2. The mean and standard deviation of the ratio between predicted using the neural network models and measured shear capacities are 1.02 and 0.18, respectively, for deep beams, and 1.04 and 0.17, respectively, for slender beams. In addition, the influence of different parameters on the shear capacity of reinforced concrete beams predicted by the developed neural network shows consistent agreement with those experimentally observed

Mechanism analysis for concrete breakout capacity of single anchors in tension

A numerical technique based on the theory of plasticity is developed to predict an optimum failure surface generatrix and concrete breakout capacity of single anchors away from edges under tensile loads. Concrete is regarded as a rigid, perfectly plastic material obeying a modified coulomb failure criteria with effective compressive and tensile strengths. The failure mode is idealized as an assemblage of two rigid blocks separated by failure surfaces of displacement discontinuity. Minimization of the collapse load predicted by the energy equation produces the optimum shape of the failure surface generatrix. A simplified solution is also developed by approximating the failure surface as two straight lines. The effect of different parameters on the concrete breakout capacity of anchors is reviewed using the developed mechanism analysis, ACI 318-05, and test results of 501 cast-in-place and 442 post-installed anchor specimens. The shape of failure surface and concrete breakout capacity of anchors predicted by the mechanism analysis are significantly affected by the ratio between effective tensile and compressive strengths of concrete. For anchors installed in concrete having a low ratio between effective tensile and compressive strengths, a much larger horizontal extent of failure planes in concrete surface is predicted by the mechanism analysis than recommended by ACI 318-05, similar to test results. Experimental concrete breakout capacity of anchors is closer to the prediction obtained from the mechanism analysis than ACI 318-05. ACI 318-05 provisions for anchors sharply underestimate the breakout capacity of cast-in-place and post-installed anchors having effective embedment depths exceeding 200 and 80 mm (7.87 to 3.15 in.), respectively, installed in concrete of compressive strength larger than 50 MPa (7250 psi)

Effectiveness of Web Reinforcement around Openings in Continuous Concrete Deep Beams.

yesTwenty two reinforced concrete continuous deep beams with openings and two companion solid deep beams were tested to failure. The main variables investigated were the configuration of web reinforcement around openings, location of openings, and shear span-to-overall depth ratio. The influence of web reinforcement on controlling diagonal crack width and load capacity of continuous deep beams with openings was significantly dependent on the location of openings. The development of diagonal crack width and load capacity of beams having openings within exterior shear spans were insensitive to the configuration of web reinforcement. However, for beams having openings within interior shear spans, inclined web reinforcement was the most effective type for controlling diagonal crack width and increasing load capacity. It has also observed that higher load and shear capacities were exhibited by beams with web reinforcement above and below openings than those with web reinforcement only above openings. The shear capacity at failed shear span of continuous beams tested is overestimated using Kong et al’s formula developed for simple deep beams with openings

Bond strength between corroded steel reinforcement and recycled aggregate concrete

YesThis paper investigates the bond performance of recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) concrete with un-corroded/corroded reinforcing steel bars, with the main parameters being RCA content, corrosion level, bar diameter and embedment length. For this purpose, 60 pull-out specimens containing different percentages of RCA (i.e. 0%, 25%, 50% and 100%) and steel bars of two diameters (12 and 20 mm) and different embedment lengths were tested. In order to establish various levels of corrosion, specimens were exposed to an electrochemical corrosion for 2, 5, 10 and 15 days. The bond strength between RAC concrete and un-corroded/corroded steel are compared to current codes and equations proposed by other researchers. Experimental results showed that larger corrosion rate of steel bars was observed with the increase of the replacement level of RCA due to its high porosity and water absorption. The use of RCA had a slight influence on bond strength for un-corroded specimens compared to that obtained from conventional concrete. Furthermore, the bond strength of RCA concrete was strongly affected by corrosion products; bond strength slightly enhanced for up to about 2% corrosion rate, and then significantly decreased as the corrosion time further increased, similar to that of conventional concrete. However, the rate of bond degradation between RCA concrete and corroded steel bars was much faster than that observed in corroded conventional concrete

Load capacity predictions of continuous concrete deep beams reinforced with GFRP bars

YesNine continuous concrete deep beams reinforced with glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars were experimentally tested to failure. Three main parameters were investigated, namely, shear span-to-overall depth ratio, web reinforcement and size effect. The experimental results confirmed the impacts of web reinforcement and size effect that were not considered by the strut-and-tie method (STM) of the only code provision, the Canadian S806-12, that addressed such elements. The experimental results were employed to evaluate the applicability of the methods suggested by the American, European and Canadian codes as well as the previous studies to predict the load capacities of continuous deep beams reinforced with GFRP bars. It was found that these methods were unable to reflect the influences of size effect and/or web reinforcement, the impact of which has been confirmed by the current experimental investigation. Therefore, a new effectiveness factor was recommended to be used with the STM. Additionally, an upper-bound analysis was developed to predict the load capacity of the tested specimens considering a reduced bond strength of GFRP bars. A good agreement between the predicted results and the experimental ones was obtained with the mean and coefficient of variation values of 1.02 and 5.9%, respectively, for the STM and 1.03 and 8.6%, respectively, for the upper-bound analysis.Higher Committee of Education Development in Iraq (HCED

Long-term drying shrinkage of self-compacting concrete: experimental and analytical investigations

YesThe present study investigated long-term drying shrinkage strains of self-compacting concrete (SCCs). For all SCCs mixes, Portland cement was replaced with 0–60% of fly ash (FA), fine and course aggregates were kept constant with 890 kg/m3 and 780 kg/m3, respectively. Two different water binder ratios of 0.44 and 0.33 were examined for both SCCs and normal concrete (NCs). Fresh properties of SCCs such as filling ability, passing ability, viscosity and resistance to segregation and hardened properties such as compressive and flexural strengths, water absorption and density of SCCs and NCs were also determined. Experimental results of drying shrinkage were compared to five existing models, namely the ACI 209R-92 model, BSEN-92 model, ACI 209R-92 (Huo) model, B3 model, and GL2000. To assess the quality of predictive models, the influence of various parameters (compressive strength, cement content, water content and relative humidity) effecting on the drying shrinkage strain as considered by the models are studied. The results showed that, using up to 60% of FA as cement replacement can produce SCC with a compressive strength as high as 30 MPa and low drying shrinkage strain. SCCs long-term drying shrinkage from 356 to 1000 days was higher than NCs. ACI 209R-92 model provided a better prediction of drying shrinkage compared with the other models.Financial support of Higher Education of Libya (469/2009)

Sagging and hogging strengthening of continuous reinforced concrete beams using CFRP sheets.

yesThis paper reports the testing of 11 reinforced concrete (RC) two-span beams strengthened in flexure with externally bonded carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets. The beams were classified into two groups according to the arrangement of the internal steel reinforcement. Each group included one unstrengthened control beam. The main parameters studied were the position, length, and number of CFRP layers. External strengthening using CFRP sheets was found to increase the beam load capacity. All strengthened beams exhibited less ductility compared with the unstrengthened control beams, however, and showed undesirable sudden failure modes. There was an optimum number of CFRP layers beyond which there was no further enhancement in the beam capacity. Extending the CFRP sheet length to cover the entire hogging or sagging zones did not prevent peeling failure of the CFRP sheets, which was the dominant failure mode of beams tested

Influence of Shear Reinforcement on Reinforced Concrete Continuous Deep Beams

yesTest results of 24 reinforced concrete continuous deep beams are reported. The main variables studied were concrete strength, shear span-to-overall depth ratio (a/h) and the amount and configuration of shear reinforcement. The results of this study show that the load transfer capacity of shear reinforcement was much more prominent in continuous deep beams than in simply supported deep beams. For beams having an a/ h of 0.5, horizontal shear reinforcement was always more effective than vertical shear reinforcement. The ratio of the load capacity measured and that predicted by the strutand-tie model recommended by ACI 318-05 dropped against the increase of a/h. This decrease rate was more remarkable in continuous deep beams than that in simple deep beams. The strut-and-tie model recommended by ACI 318-05 overestimated the strength of continuous deep beams having a/ h more than 1.0